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$25 Million Bail Keeps Pennsylvania Man in Jail PAGE 16 January 27, 2012 New York, NY Vol. XVI, No. 4 www.desitalk.com Published by Parikh Worldwide Media, LLC. community color s ® www.Nankingrestaurants.com Chinese Thai & Indian (Some Locations) Banquet halls now open at Stelton Rd and Long Island locations www.Nankingrestaurants.com Indoor or Outdoor Catering Available We Cater All Cuisines PRIVATE PARTY ROOM AVAILABLE Planners Available for Indoor & Outdoor Catering 4941 Shelton Road South Plainfield NJ 908-561-6085 2056 Hillside Ave New Hyde Park 516-352-0009 72-23 37th Ave. Jackson Heights NY 718-NANKING Broadway and 50th New York City 212-586-3100 1900 Pacific Ave, 6 th Floor Atlantic City, NJ 609-340-1100 1538 Parkway Plaza Oak Tree Road Iselin NJ 732-549-7788 101 Hudson Street Jersey City 201-333-6500 Now Open PAGE 4 India Beat South Africa in Hockey Series IN NEW YORK PAGE 14 ‘Dirty Picture’ PAGE 12 Winner of Top Honors at Zee Cine Awards Vidya Balan’s Oprah Charms Jaipur Talk show diva vows adoring crowds at the literary festival PAGE 15 Return to Exile Controversial writer Salman Rushdie cancels India visit because of security concerns PAGE 7 To Sir, With Leave Facing two criminal cases, Connecticut English professor placed on leave PAGE 4 A REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL

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Parikh Worldwide Media LLC is the largest Indian-American publishing group in the United States. The group publishes five periodicals – “News India Times,” a national weekly newspaper; “Desi Talk in New York,” a weekly newspaper serving the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut region; and “Desi Talk in Chicago,” a weekly newspaper serving the Greater Chicago area and the Midwestern states; and “The Indian American,” a national bimonthly feature magazine, and the Gujarat Times, a Gujarati language weekly. The combined circulation and readership of these publications make the media group the most influential in the ethnic Indian market.

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Page 1: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

$25 Million Bail Keeps Pennsylvania Man in Jail PAGE 16

January 27, 2012New York, NYVol. XVI, No. 4www.desitalk.comPublished by

Parikh Worldwide Media, LLC.community colors

®

www.Nankingrestaurants.com

Chinese Thai & Indian (Some Locations)

Banquet halls now open at Stelton Rd and

Long Island locationswww.Nankingrestaurants.com

Indoor or Outdoor Catering Available

We Cater AllCuisines

PRIVATEPARTY ROOM AVAILABLE

Planners Available for Indoor & Outdoor Catering

4941 Shelton RoadSouth Plainfield NJ

908-561-6085

2056 Hillside AveNew Hyde Park516-352-0009

72-23 37th Ave.Jackson Heights NY

718-NANKING

Broadway and 50thNew York City212-586-3100

1900 Pacific Ave, 6th FloorAtlantic City, NJ 609-340-1100

1538 Parkway PlazaOak Tree Road Iselin NJ

732-549-7788

101 Hudson StreetJersey City

201-333-6500

Now Open

PAGE 4 India Beat South Africa in Hockey Series

IN NEW YORK

PAGE 14

‘Dirty Picture’PAGE 12

Winner of Top Honors at Zee Cine Awards

Vidya Balan’s

OprahCharms

JaipurTalk show divavows adoringcrowds at theliterary festival

PAGE 15

Return to Exile

Controversial writerSalman Rushdiecancels India visitbecause of security

concerns

PAGE 7To Sir,WithLeave

Facing two criminalcases, ConnecticutEnglish professorplaced on leave

PAGE 4

A REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL

NY FRONT PAGE Jan 27_Layout 1 1/24/2012 5:52 PM Page 1

Page 2: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

From News Dispatches

Potential jurors in the trial ofDharun Ravi, a formerRutgers student accused of

using a webcam to record hisroommate's sex encounter withanother man, will learn the nameof that man, who has so far beenidentified only by his initials.

According to news reports,New Jersey Superior Court JudgeGlenn Berman told attorneys at apretrial conference Jan. 20 that theman's name will be on a list ofpotential witnesses on a question-naire jurors will fill out. Attorneyscustomarily provide the lists toensure no potential juror knows apotential witness.

Ravi also attended the pretrialconference in New Brunswick,N.J., The Star-Ledger said. Juryselection is set for Feb. 17 and the

trial is expected to start by earlyMarch. Ravi, 19, last monthrefused to plead guilty to any of 15charges accusing him of biasintimidation and using a webcamto remotely spy on his formerroommate, Tyler Clementi, in

their dorm room in September2010.

Clementi later committed sui-cide. If convicted, Ravi could faceup to 10 years in prison.

According to authorities, Raviviewed Clementi from the roomof another friend, Molly Wei. InMay, Wei pleaded not guilty to twocounts of invasion of privacy,according to a statement from the

Middlesex County Prosecutor'sOffice. She has now reached aplea deal with prosecutors thatrequires her to testify against Ravi.

Ravi and Wei both withdrewfrom Rutgers after they werecharged following Clementi’sdeath.

Authorities said that after view-ing Clementi, Ravi used hisTwitter account to tell friends hesaw the freshman “making outwith a dude.” Ravi also is accusedof trying and failing to set up thewebcam a second time so otherscould watch Clementi and theman.

4 January 27, 2012 CITY VIEWS

From News Dispatches

APennsylvania businessman,who is in jail in connectionwith a murder-for-hire plot,

is urging a state court to reducehis $25 million bail after the pleawas denied by a lower court.

Paul R. Vangore, ofAbington, Pa., isaccused of trying tohire a hit man to kill aman he suspected washis wife's lover and twoof the man's friends,The Times Heraldreported. The 47-year-old who owns aSubway restaurantfaces charges of solicitation tocommit murder and kidnappingin connection with the allegedplot.

Vangore's lawyer FrancisRecchuiti has asked thePennsylvania Superior Court toreview a Jan. 5 decision byMontgomery County Judge GaryS. Silow, who denied Vangore’srequest to reduce his $25 million

bail, The Times Herald said.According to the paper,

Recchuiti asked the state judges tooverturn Silow’s ruling and setVangore’s bail at $50,000.

Calling the higher amount“unreasonable,” the lawyer saidhis client is confined in a segregat-ed section of the county jail

“which is detrimental tohis health and welfareand which impedescooperation with hiscounsel in the prepara-tion of his defense.”

Claiming that hisclient was subject to“cruel and unusual" pre-trial punishment,Recchuiti said Vangaore

most recently was placed in a“mental medical ward” where hewas not permitted to take papersfrom his lawyer and was notallowed out of a cell, the papersaid.

Assistant District AttorneyMatthew Quigg has opposed bailreduction calling Vangore a dan-ger to his wife and the alleged vic-tims.

Jailed Businessman Wants$25 Million Bail Reduced

From News Dispatches

Ravi Shankar, an associateprofessor of English atthe Central Connecticut

State University, was back incourt Jan. 12 for a hearing in hislarceny case.

The 36-year-old, who wassuspended Aug. 30 from hismore-than-$70,000-a-year job,is accused of attempted first-degree larceny, second-degreefalse statement and making acriminal attempt to tamperwith physical evidence. He haspleaded not guilty to all counts,and is free on a $25,000 bond,according to the HartfordCourant. The university contin-ues to pay Shankar his suspen-sion salary and will do so till“until the legal matter of hischarges has been resolved andthe university reviews the mat-ter,” Mark McLaughlin, the uni-versity's associate vice presi-dent for marketing and com-munications, told the paper. Atthat point, the university'soptions include trying to disci-pline or fire Shankar, he added.

The Courant, citing courtdocuments, reported thatShankar last year had orderedmore than $22,000 worth oftickets to an international soc-cer game in New Jersey -- someof them with a university-issued

laptop computer – in hopes ofselling them at a profit to payoff more than $70,000 in debts.But, that plan failed, and hereported to police in late Junethat someone had used hisDiscover credit card to fraudu-lently buy many more ticketsthan the four he acknowledgedordering himself, the papersaid.

Shankar eventually admittedto university police that he“ordered all the tickets and washoping to make some money,”the paper said. Shankar at onepoint called a university infor-mation-technology technicianand allegedly told him that thepolice recommended he havethe hard drives erased. That ledpolice to believe that Shankarwas “trying to get rid of infor-mation.”

Shankar was arrested againin November, in a separate case,

after allegedly crashing into avehicle in North Haven, Conn.,and fleeing the scene. Statepolice said Shankar was drivingon the shoulder when he hit aparked vehicle and drove away,but was found in a wooded areawith the help of a police dog,according to the Courant.

Shankar was charged withdriving under the influence,evading responsibility, failure todrive in the proper lane, andoperating a vehicle withoutinsurance. His case is pendingin Superior Court in Meriden,Conn., and he was to appear incourt Jan. 17.

Shankar has been at the uni-versity since 2003, and hasserved as editor and publisherof Drunkenboat.com, an onlinepoetry magazine. He is chair-man of a nonprofit foundation,the Connecticut Young WritersTrust.

Dharun Ravi, former Rutgers studentaccused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate's intimate encounter with anoth-er man , leaves Middlesex County Court onDec. 9 in New Brunswick, N.J.

Jurors to Learn Identity of 2nd Man in Rutgers Suicide Case

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know

Rajat Gupta Files Demand for Jury Trial in SEC Civil CaseBy Bob Van Voris

Rajat Gupta, the formerGoldman Sachs Group Inc.(GS) director charged with

insider trading as part of theGalleon Group LLC probe, filed ademand for a jury trial in the civilcase brought against him by theU.S. Securities and ExchangeCommission.

The SEC claims Gupta, 63, gaveRaj Rajaratnam, the convictedGalleon co-founder, informationabout Berkshire Hathaway Inc.(BRK/A)’s $5 billion investment in

Goldman Sachs. The agency alsoalleges that Gupta toldRajaratnam about quarterly earn-ings of Goldman Sachs andProcter & Gamble, where Guptawas also a director.

Gupta, who faces related crimi-nal charges in a separate case, hasdenied wrongdoing.

The SEC filed an administrativeproceeding against Gupta inWashington on March 1, claiminghe passed illegal inside informa-tion to Rajaratnam. The agencylater withdrew that action andsued Gupta in federal court inManhattan, after Gupta claimed

the administrative proceedingimproperly deprived him of pro-cedural protections, including theright to have a jury, rather than ajudge, determine the case.

Rajaratnam, 54, was foundguilty in May of 14 criminalcounts of conspiracy and securi-ties fraud. He is serving an 11-yearsentence in a federal medicalprison in Massachusetts.

The case is Gupta v. SEC, 11-cv-01900, U.S. District Court,Southern District of New York(Manhattan). Earlier, U.S. prose-cutors opposed a bid by Gupta toblock use in his criminal case of

wiretap evidence obtained fromthe mobile phone of Rajaratnam.

Six different judges authorizedthe wiretaps because they are par-ticularly appropriate in investigat-ing insider trading, which requirescommunication and is often diffi-cult to detect and prove beyond areasonable doubt, the govern-ment said Jan. 19 in a filingopposing Gupta’s request to sup-press the evidence.

“In an effort to suppressincriminating wiretap evidenceagainst him, Gupta has mimickedRajaratnam’s arguments inRajaratnam’s failed attempt to

suppress the wiretapevidence,”prosecutors said in thefiling in federal court inManhattan.

Gupta, who also sat on theboard of Procter & Gamble Co.and led McKinsey & Co., wasindicted by a federal grand jury inOctober on five counts of securi-ties fraud and one count of con-spiracy to commit securities fraudfor passing inside information toRajaratnam. Gary Naftalis, alawyer for Gupta, didn’t return acall seeking comment on the gov-ernment’s filing.

– Bloomberg News

Connecticut Professor is Accused of Larceny

Page 3: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

By Bob Van Voris

Preet Bharara, the top federalprosecutor in Manhattanwhose office has sent terror-

ists and inside traders to prison,told an audience that the threat ofInternet-related attacks is hisbiggest worry.

“Of all the issues I face asUnited States Attorney – and thereare many, many things that I haveto deal with that are scary – cyberthreat in all of its breadth, varietyand complexity is what worriesme the most, the absolute most,”Bharara said today on the fourthand last day of a cyber securityconference sponsored by the FBIand Fordham University.

After becoming U.S. Attorneyfor Manhattan in 2009, Bharara,previously Senator CharlesSchumer’s chief counsel on theSenate Judiciary Committee, saidhe established a unit within hisoffice to target complex frauds,

including cyber crime. Bharara pointed to his office’s

successful prosecutions of formerSociete Generale SA traderSamarth Agrawal and formerGoldman Sachs Group Inc. pro-grammer Sergey Aleynikov for

stealing computer code. Prosecutors worked with the

Federal Bureau of Investigationand the National Aeronautics andSpace Administration to bringcharges against six Estonians anda Russian accused of running an

international scam that netted atleast $14 million in fraudulentadvertising fees, he said.

Bharara’s successful prosecu-tions include Faisal Shahzad, whopleaded guilty to driving a bomb-laden car into New York’s TimesSquare in 2010 and was sentencedto life in prison.

Last year, Bharara’s office wonconviction of Galleon Group LLC

co-founder Raj Rajaratnam in thelargest insider-trading prosecu-tion in U.S. history. Prosecutorsare set for trial in April against for-mer Goldman Sachs DirectorRajat Gupta, who is charged withpassing inside tips to Rajaratnam.

The audience at today’s speechincluded law enforcement andcomputer security professionals.

– Bloomberg News

6 January 27, 2012 CITY VIEWS

Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York,announces charges against seven people arrested by the FBI during a news

conference in New York Jan. 18.

Cyber Crime Threat Is Top Worry of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know

By a Staff Writer

The newly elected officers ofthe India Association ofLong Island (IALI) were

sworn in at North Hempsteadtown hall on Jan. 12. TownSupervisor Jon Kaiman adminis-tered the oath of office to theelected officials.

Town Clerk Leslie Gross,Receiver of Taxes Charles Bermanand Councilwoman VivianaRussell were among the local dig-nitaries, community leaders, IALIpast presidents and memberswho attended the event, organiz-ers said in a press release.

The program commenced withthe Pledge of Allegiance followedby the national anthems of Indiaand the United States. IALIChairman of Legislative AffairsMohinder Singh Taneja welcomedthe guests.

Kaiman congratulated thenewly elected officials and elabo-rated on the history of the townand how it brings communitiestogether.

Dr. Jagan Pahuja, who repre-sented the 2012 ElectionCommittee, read the names of allthe elected office-bearers whileintroducing each. Satpal

Malhotra, also of the ElectionCommittee, briefly describedIALI’s election process, the releasesaid.

IALI President Dr. Sukhvinder

Ranu outlined his agenda andplans for the year.

The ceremony concluded witha vote of thanks by secretaryRekha Valliappan. Light refresh-ments were served.

The newly elected executivecommittee officials are: Dr.Sukhvinder Ranu, president; JayaBahadkar, vice president; RekhaValliappan, secretary; and BinaSabapathy, treasurer.

The members-at-large areSaroj Aery, Ajay Batra, Nishi Behl,Damayanti Goklani, AnjanaKashyap, Veena Lamba, RashmiMittle and Satnam Parhar.

Committee chairs/co-chairsare: Prasad Khambhampathy,finance; Gunjan Rastogi, cultural;Shashi Malik, membership; LalitaMansukhani, Indra Puri andShoba Prakash for the women’sforum; Mohinder Singh Taneja,legislative affairs; and AnandAhuja, legal affairs.

By a Staff Writer

ANew York-based women’ssupport group is reachingout to the community

through a campaign to raiseawareness about violence againstwomen.

The New York Asian Women’sCenter provides a safe haven forwomen and children who are vic-tims of domestic violence andother forms of abuse throughmultilingual support programsand shelter services.

It works to raise public aware-ness about violence againstwomen, advocates for the rightsof survivors and acts as an agentof social change.

All services are free, confiden-tial, culturally appropriate andlanguage accessible.

Founded in 1982,the center isthe first organization on the EastCoast to address the issues ofdomestic violence and sexualassault in Asian communities.Some of the services offeredinclude a 24-hour multilingualhotline (888-888-7702), a ShelterAlternatives: FosteringEmpowerment program, emer-gency residences and transitionalhousing, children’s program, com-munity education and outreach,technical assistance projects,Center for Asian Women CrimeVictims (CAWCV) and ProjectSpeak Out.

The center has been recog-

nized and has received accoladesfrom the communities they serve,including awards from New Yorkgovernors, President George H.W.Bush, Asian Pacific Network, NewYork University, United Way, KingsCounty District Attorney’s office,Columbia University, ManhattanBorough President, NationalVictim Center, MFY LegalServices, the Korean AmericanFamily Service Center, the RobinHood Foundation, Newsday, NY1News, the Coalition for AsianChildren and Families, and NewYork City Brooklyn Family JusticeCenter. Help can be provided byreporting abuses, volunteering orby donations.

For more information, visitwww.nyawc.org.

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaimanadministers the oath of office to the newly elected

executive committee of the India Association of LongIsland (IALI) at the town hall, Jan. 12

N.Y.-Based Center Supports Victims of Domestic Abuse

New Officers Take Over Leadership of Long Island Group

By a Staff Writer

With the appointmentof Smita Goradia assenior vice president

and director of retail banking,the Iselin, N.J.-based IndusAmerican Bank plans tobroaden its reach within thecommunity andgrow its marketshare.

Goradia, whowas appointed inDecember, willhead the RetailBanking Division,which includesthe four full-serv-ice branches inIselin,Parsippany and Jersey City, allin New Jersey, and Hicksvillein New York.

She will be in charge ofincreasing sales and promot-ing business development forthe bank, a press release fromthe bank said.

In a statement released bythe bank, Jasbir Chopra, presi-dent and CEO said, “Smitabrings with her extensive retail

banking and managementexperience, and her client net-work and a proven trackrecord of business develop-ment will help us in our plansfor expansion.”

Goradia has held executiveand managerial positions,including vicepresident/regional sales man-

ager at UnitedCentral Bank andassistant vice presi-dent/branch man-ager at Unity Bank,the release said. Herexperiences includebusiness develop-ment, relationshipmanagement,account and portfo-

lio management, branchcompliance and operations.

According to informationon its website, the IndusAmerican Bank has beenfounded specifically to servethe needs of the South Asians,one of the fastest growing seg-ments of the Asian ethnicgroup over the comingdecade.

It serves business as well asretail customers.

N.J. Bank Names Senior VicePresident, Plans Expansion

Smita Goradia

Page 4: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

7January 27, 2012INDIA

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know

is most controversial workcame back to haunt himand, once again, authorSalman Rushdie was forced

to retreat. The New York-basedBooker Prize-winning authorwho was supposed to travel toIndia, the country of his birth andthe muse for his writings, can-celled his trip to the JaipurLiterature Festival after atrumped-up controversy about“The Satanic Verses.”

Not only that, Rushdie’s video-link which was organized after hisvisit was cancelled was also with-drawn by organizers in the face ofcontinued threats from Muslimgroups that they would stage aprotest at the venue.

That book, which was con-demned by many Muslims world-wide as being derogatory to theirfaith, was banned in India in 1988soon after its publication.

Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeiniissued a fatwa against Rushdiethat forced the author into hidingfor many years in the UnitedKingdom, where he then lived.

“It’s astonishing my physicalpresence, and even my image ona video screen is deemed to beunacceptable – it’s pretty shock-ing,” he said in an interview withNDTV, adding that the loss of lib-erty in India was “the saddestthing.” Sultan Ahmed, an UttarPradesh politician seeking re-elec-tion, was the first to urge the gov-ernment to deny Rushdie a visa tovisit India, citing “Satanic Verses.”Then, the head of the importantDarul Uloom Deoband seminaryin the state joined in, also callingfor visa denial.

Rushdie does not need a visa tovisit India since he has anOverseas Citizen of India (OCI)card.

Threat to LifeOpposition to his visit soon

snowballed into a bigger issue andvarious groups threatened to holdprotests outside Diggi Palace, thesite of the festival where hundredsof writers and artists, filmmakersand musicians were set to gather.

The Indian government, apartfrom mentioning that Rushdie didnot visa, did not make any state-ment about providing him thenecessary security in the face ofopposition.

The Rajasthan governmentsaid Rushdie’s presence mightpose a security threat, and newsoutlets speculated if he wouldattend the festival that is expectedto draw many thousands of atten-dees, and speakers on everythingfrom Sufi poetry to American TVtalk show queen Oprah Winfrey.

Then, on Jan. 20, Rushdieissued a statement saying hewould not attend.

“For the last several days I havemade no public comment about

my proposed trip to the JaipurLiterary Festival at the request ofthe local authorities in Rajasthan,hoping that they would put inplace such precautions as mightbe necessary to allow me to comeand address the Festival audiencein circumstances that were com-fortable and safe for all,” Rushdiesaid in a statement.

“I have now been informed byintelligence sources inMaharashtra and Rajasthan thatpaid assassins from the Mumbaiunderworld may be on their wayto Jaipur to ‘eliminate’ me. While Ihave some doubts about theaccuracy of this intelligence, itwould be irresponsible of me tocome to the Festival in such cir-cumstances; irresponsible to myfamily, to the festival audience,and to my fellow writers. I willtherefore not travel to Jaipur asplanned.”

This would have beenRushdie’s second visit to the festi-val, where he was scheduled to bein three sessions at least. He hadearlier spoken there in 2007 with-out attracting this kind of contro-versy.Rushdie, who was born inMumbai but has lived abroadmost of his life, has visited hisnative country several times overthe years.

Rushdie isn’t the first interna-tionally renowned personality tobe targeted by fundamentalistgroups in India.

The artist M.F. Husain, whodied last year in London while liv-ing in self-imposed exile, alsofaced the wrath of hard-linegroups – though in his case thegroups protesting his work wereHindus who were deeply offendedby his depictions of their deities.

Where’s the Outrage?The Jaipur festival brings

together an impressive cohort ofliterary giants from around theworld; this year’s guest listincludes 208 renowned authorssuch as Annie Proulx, Ben Okri,Kiran Nagarkar, Lionel Shriver andMichael Ondaatje. Yet, nothingforceful emerged from their courtto counter the opposition toRushdie, apart from a few opin-ions here and there.

Festival organizers pitched forfreedom of expression butseemed resigned to Rushdie’sabsence.

Some friends of the flamboyantauthor spoke up in his defense.“People are so fed up of this non-sense and they will not give itattention because the moreimportance you give to theseprotests … that’s what they want,”Aroon Shivdasani, executivedirector of the Indo-AmericanArts Council in New York and afriend of Rushdie’s, told Desi Talk.

She is upset by the whole con-troversy. “The fact is that Salmanis an overseas citizen of India. Hehas not committed any sort of

crime. And he has been invited tospeak. They have no leg to standon. As for the book (“SatanicVerses”), he is a fiction writer, nota journalist. And Salman is not anonbeliever,” she said.

Real IssuesThe controversy surrounding

Rushdie is being exploited bysavvy politicians for their ownpetty gains, some feel. London-based writer Salil Tripathi outlinesin a Jan. 19 piece onLivemint.com, that data showMuslims in India are way behindin terms of education and jobs,but politicians are more interestedin quotas and votebank politics.In his piece, “An excuse calledRushdie,” Tripathi says politicians,“fight chimeric battles and offerillusory benefits to Muslims, whowant education and jobs. Insteadthey get quotas, and not skills,with the added bonus: to protestRushdie

Suketu Mehta, author of“Maximum City,” the seminalwork on Mumbai, told News IndiaTimes he did not want to com-ment specifically on the Rushdiecontroversy, but agreed withTripathi’s analysis. “My friend SalilTripathi said it all,” he said.

Author Liaquat Ahamed andhis wife, Meenakshi, a journalistand commentator, believe thatmost ordinary citizens in Indiawere unconcerned aboutRushdie’s visit. MeenakshiAhamed said she and her hus-band, who won the 2010 PulitzerPrize for his book, “Lords ofFinance: The Bankers Who Brokethe World,” discussed the Rushdiematter

“Writers reflect the societiesthey live in. If they are not able toexpress their views where does itleave freedom of speech?” shequestioned. “Politicians tend tohijack issues. If you were to take apoll of real people, most would beindifferent to the issue of hisattendance at the festival.”

Writing in Time magazine’s Jan.10 issue on “What the ControversyBehind Salman Rushdie’s IndiaVisit Says About the Author’sCountry of Origin,” commentatorJyoti Thottam points a finger atupcoming Uttar Pradesh electionsand the Congress Party’s “abidingweakness in its relationship withIndia’s large and importantMuslim population,” whichexplained the party’s silence onthe issue.

But another popular authorChetan Bhagat said religious sen-timents in India must be respect-ed.

“He is a hero as far as his other-writings are concerned, but writ-ing something that attacks some-body’s god is not the right thing todo,” Bhagat is reported in TheEconomic Times as saying. Indian Muslims shout anti-Salman Rushdie slogans after Friday prayers in Jaipur on Jan. 20.

Opposition from some Muslims to author Salman Rushdie’s visit tothe Jaipur Literature Festival resulted in the author cancelling hisIndia visit and raised concerns about freedom of expression in theworld's largest democracy, Ela Dutt writes

Controversial AuthorCancels India Visit

H

Indian writer Chetan Bhagat speaks at the annual Literature Festival in Jaipur, Jan. 21.Bhagat criticized the support leant to authors whose books are banned for offending religious communities, a day after Salman Rushdie cancelled his trip to Jaipur citing

death threat warning.

“He is a hero as far ashis other writings are

concerned, but writingsomething that

attacks somebody’sgod is not the right

thing to do”– Chetan Bhagat

Reu

ters

Page 5: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

8 January 27, 2012 REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know

A Republic Comes of Age

Above, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru,right, and Defense Minister Baldev Singhat the first Republic Day parade on Jan.

26, 1950. Right, a scene from of the firstRepublic Day Parade.

Below, Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan,Rajeshwar Dayal, right, greets PakistaniPresident Mohammad Ayub Khan at a receptionon the occasion of India's tenth Republic Day atKarachi in Jan. 1959. RIght, The Republic Daywas an occasion to illuminate public buildingsall over the country. A view of RashtrapatiBhawan as illuminated on Jan. 26, 1957.

Below, the Indian Republic Day was celebrated in New Delhi with greatenthusiasm on Jan. 26, 1951. An

impressive parade was held in whichunits of Defense Services participated.

The President of India took the salute at the March Past.

Abov, Below, one of the rare pictures of former Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi, with folk dancers during Republic Day celebrations in1968.Left, President F.A. Ahmedwith Sea Cadets Republic DayContingent 1976 in New Delhi onJan. 26, 1976.

Above, folk dancers and tableaux artists who participated in the Republic DayParade called on the President R. Venkataraman and Janaki Venkataraman in New

Delhi on Jan. 28, 1992.

Page 6: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

10 January 27, 2012 REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know

Above, the Republic Day parade at Rajpathin New Delhi on Jan. 26, 2011. Right,

Indian soldiers train on stunt motorcyclesin preparation for the 2012 Republic Day

parade in New Delhi Jan. 12.Above, an aerial view of the parade to celebrate India’s 60th Republic Day, Jan. 26,2009. Below, a cultural performance during the Jan. 26, 2009 parade.

Below left, President APJ Abdul Kalam,reviews the parade center duringRepublic Day parade on Jan. 26,

2007. Below center, the chief guestand the President of Algeria Abdelaziz

Bouteflika being led to the salutingdais by President K.R. Narayanan andPrime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee atthe Republic Day Parade in New Delhi

on Jan. 26, 2001.

Above, girls perform a traditional dance during theRepublic Day celebration in Guwahati on Jan. 26,2008. Left, an army contingent at the Jan. 26,2011 parade.

A Republic Comes of Age

Page 7: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

By a Staff Writer

t was double delight for VidyaBalan, who walked away withtwo best actress trophies atthis year’s Zee Cine Awards in

Macau on Jan. 21. Her criticallyacclaimed portrayal of southernsiren Silk Smitha in “The DirtyPicture,” won the jury and thePeople’s Choice award categories.“I really don’t know what to say,”she was quoted as saying in newsreports in her acceptance speech.“Thank you so much. When I gotthe jury award, I was over themoon. But this second award is athank you all over again to theentire team of ‘The Dirty Picture’,”she said.

Others in contention in the cat-egory were Priyanka Chopra(“Saat Khoon Maaf”), Katrina Kaif(“Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”),Kareena Kapoor (“Bodyguard”)and Kangna Ranaut (“Tanu WedsManu”).

“The Dirty Picture” also wonawards for the best film (jury),best song for “Ishq Sufiana” andbest choreography for the song“Ooh La La.”

The who’s who of Bollywoodattended the awards extravagan-za, described on its website as the“largest viewer’s choice awards,”held at the Cotai Arena in theVenetian Macao Resort Hotel inMacau, Hong Kong.

The main awards are split intotwo — jury and popular — withthe latter voted for by fans online.The awards function is held at adifferent location each year.

Head to head with “The DirtyPicture” was Shree AshtavinayakCinevision's “Rockstar,” whichwon seven awards, including bestactor (popular), best director, bestlyrics, best singer (male), bestmusic, best screenplay and bestediting.

While Ranbir Kapoor's role inthe film won him the best actoraward, Imtiaz Ali bagged the bestdirector trophy.

Irshad Kamil won the best lyri-cist award while composer A. R.Rahman was awarded the bestmusic director's trophy for hischartbusting music and MohitChauhan won the best malesinger trophy for the song “Jo BhiMain” and Aarti Bajaj was award-ed for best editing. The film alsowon the best screenplay award.

In his acceptance speechRanbir Kapoor said, “Sadda Haq.Thank you Macau, Zee and ShahRukh Khan for letting someoneelse win,” Daily News & Analysisreported.

He dedicated the trophy to hisparents, Neetu Singh and RishiKapoor, who celebrated their32nd wedding anniversary recent-

ly. He was voted the winner in anonline poll and beat veteransincluding Ajay Devgn(“Singham”), Hritik Roshan(“Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”),Salman Khan (“Bodyguard”) andShah Rukh Khan (“Don 2” and“Ra.One”).

Superstar Shah Rukh Khanwon the jury award in the samecategory for “Don 2.”

While Farhan Akhtar was votedthe International Icon (male) andalso won best supporting actor forhis role in “Zindagi Na MilegiDobara,” his co-star Katrina Kaif,who performed at the awardsfunction, was voted InternationalIcon (female).

“I was born in Hong Kong so itfeels great to be performing inMacau and winning this award,”Kaif was quoted as saying in newsreports.

The film also won awards forthe best film (popular) and

fetched the best director award forZoya Akhtar.

Another big winner was theShah Rukh Khan-starrer “Ra.One,”which took the Song of the Yearfor “Chhamak Chhallo” and a hostof technical awards, includingbest sound design, best action,best marketed film and best use ofmedia.

Jitendra, Bollywood’s JumpingJack, was honored with theLifetime Achievement Award. “Iam thankful to my film fraternityfor supporting me,” said the 69-year-old whose career spans morethan five decades.

Host Shah Rukh Khan andPriyanka Chopra took friendlyjibes at their colleagues as theyspoofed some of the year’s biggestfilms.

They were also joined byFarhan Akhtar, who brought withhim the humor from his happy-go-lucky character in the film,“Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.”

The first performance of thenight was from actor ShahidKapoor, who grooved to some ofthe most popular songs from2011.

With a crowd of female fanscheering him on, he walked rightinto the audience, giving a fabu-lous performance.

Following him was KatrinaKaif, who also gave a scintillatingperformance, as she grooved tosome foot-tapping numbers.

Following her was RanbirKapoor, performing live for thefirst time.

He descended into the audi-ence from the roof, and danced tohis latest hit, “Sadda Haq,” from“Rockstar” and later joined ShahidKapoor on stage, where they bothpaid tribute to actors ShammiKapoor and Dev Anand.

But the highlight of the eveningwas Vidya Balan as she paid ascintillating tribute to the sirensfrom the South. Adding to the fes-tivities, the Venetian Macao pre-sented a lion dance, laser drum-ming, singing gondoliers, andacrobatic Shaolin monks, newsreports said.

12 January 27, 2012 COVER STORY

Vidya Balan’s ‘Dirty Picture’

I

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know

Milan Luthria’s bold film won top honors at the 13th annual Zee Cine Awards where stars sizzled on thered carpet and set the stage on fire with their performances at the Bollywood celebration in Macau

Above, Shah Rukh Khan is greeted by fansat the red carpet during the Zee CineAwards in Macau Jan. 21. Left, RanbirKapoor, right, with Balan and hosts Khanand Priyanka Chopra during the awardsceremony. Kapoor and Balan received thebest actor and actress trophy respectively.Below, actress Kajal Agarwal poses on thered carpet.

Above left, director Imtiaz Ali, left, andMohit Chauhan on the red carpet at theZee Cine Awards 2012 ceremony at TheVenetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau,

Jan. 21. Above center, actress VidyaBalan performs at the awards ceremony. Above right, actress Dia Mirza poses onthe red carpet. Left, Indian actor-director

Farhan Akhtar and his wife AdhunaBhabani Akhtar on the red carpet.

Best Actor (Popular) – Ranbir

Kapoor (“Rockstar”)

Best Actress (Popular) – Vidya Balan

(“The Dirty Picture”)

Best Director – Imtiaz Ali (“Rockstar”)

Best Actor (Jury) – Shah Rukh Khan

(“Don 2”)

Best Actress (Jury) – Vidya Balan

(“The Dirty Picture”)

Best Film (Jury) – “The Dirty Picture”

Best Action Film – “RA.One”

Best Debut Female – Parineeti

Chopra (“Ladies vs Ricky Bahl”)

Best Debut Male – Rana Daggubati

(“Dum Maaro Dum”)

Best Story – Zoya Akhtar and Reema

Kagti (“Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”)

Best Debut Director – Siddique

(“Bodyguard”)

Best use of Media – “RA.One”

Song of the Year – “Chammak

Challo” (“RA.One”)

Lifetime Achievement Award –

Jitendra

Best Choreography – “Ooh La La”

(“The Dirty Picture”)

Best Lyrics – Irshad Kamil

(“Rockstar”)

Best Song – Ishq Sufiana (“The Dirty

Picture”)

Best Singer (Female) – Shreya

Ghoshal (“Saibo” from “Shor In The

City”)

Best Singer (Male) – Mohit Chauhan

(“Jo bhi main” from “Rockstar”)

International Icon Female – Katrina

Kaif

International Icon Male – Farhan

Akthar

Best Music – A.R. Rahman

Best Marketed Film – “RA.One”

Best Supporting Actor – Farhan

Akhtar (“Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”)

Best Supporting Actress – Swara

Bhaskar (“Tanu Weds Manu”)

Best Sound Design – Resul Pookutty

(“RA.One”)

Best Actor in a Negative Role –

Prakash Raj (“Singham”)

Best Cinematography - Carlos

Catalan (“Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”)

Best Background Score – “Shaitan”

Best VFX Effects – “Ra.One”

Best Dialogues - Rajat Arora for “The

Dirty Picture”

Winners

Reuters

Reuters

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ters

Page 8: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

By Henry Foy

– JAIPUR

Amid raucous cheers fromthousands of admirers, tel-evision superstar Oprah

Winfrey praised the contrast ofcalm and chaos in India at theannual Jaipur Literature Festivalfast becoming a global culturalgala.

Considered one of the world’smost influential women, Winfreylived up to her billing as the head-line draw at an event boasting lit-erary giants such as TomStoppard, Michael Ondaatje andRichard Dawkins, charming thecrowds on Jan. 22 morning.

“I came here with an openmind, and it has been expanded...It’s the greatest life experience Ihave ever had,” Winfrey said.

“You feel like you’re in the cen-tre of something bigger andgreater than yourself.”

Hundreds of eager visitors jos-tled against barricades at the backof the main stage area as Winfreybegan speaking. Security guardsstruggled to shut the mainentrance gates as angry admirerstried to push their way inside.

“It’s like being in a video game.I don’t know which way to look,”Winfrey told crowds on her arrivalin Mumbai. “It’s a bit chaotic, butthere’s an underlying calm, a flow,that you all seem to understand.India is a paradox.”

The 57-year-old has caused amedia storm in India, with newschannels and front pages filledwith stories of her touring the cityof Mumbai with the Bachchans,Bollywood’s first family. On Jan. 22

she drew huge cheers as sheappeared on stage in a traditionalIndian churidar kameez smock.

“I will take with me a sense ofcalmness, and a genuine respect...

people don’t talk religion here,they live it,” Winfrey said.

Her appearance on Jan. 22 wasseen as a welcome distractionfrom the Salman Rushdie furore

that has overshadowed the five-day festival, after the author can-celled his planned visit due toreported assassination threatsagainst him.

The talk-show host and inter-

viewer’s “Book Club” turned little-known authors into global stars,with 59 of the club’s 70 selectedbooks making the USA TODAYTop 10 best-sellers list.

Winfrey told the festival that in2008, after witnessing the comple-tion of her mission to get then-Senator Barack Obama to theWhite House, she stuck a pictureof a woman riding a camel on herpinboard, that said “Come toIndia”.

“It was important for me to goto slums but not show the worstof the worst, but show that peoplecan live in poverty and still havehope and meaning in their lives,”said Winfrey, who also called forIndians to work to eradicate dis-crimination against widows insociety.

– Reuters

15January 27, 2012ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know

Oprah Charms ‘Chaotic’ India at Jaipur Literature Fest

– LOS ANGELES

Anil Ambani-ownedRelianceDreamWorks’ proj-

ects “War Horse”, “TheHelp” and “Real Steel” onJan. 25 bagged 11 nomina-tions for the 84th AcademyAwards.

The prestigious best filmcategory has a line-up ofnine nominations, and fea-tures “War Horse” and “TheHelp”.

Including the best pic-ture nomination, StevenSpielberg-directed “WarHorse” has been nominatedin six categories, includingsound editing, sound mix-ing, original score (JohnWilliams), art direction andcinematography. The movie,about the friendshipbetween a horse namedJoey and a young mancalled Albert, releases inIndia Feb 10.

“The Help”, directed byTate Tylor, is nominated forbest actress (Viola Davis),best supporting actress(Jessica Chastain andOctavia Spencer), apartfrom best picture trophies.

Hugh Jackman-starrersci-fi thriller “Real Steel” hasone nomination for bestachievement in visualeffects.

This year’s Oscar nomi-nation pack is lead by“Hugo”, which has 11 nomi-nations alone. It is followedby “The Artist” with 10nominations, while India’sonly hope at the Oscars -Sohan Roy’s “DAM 999”failed to make it to make itto any category.

– IANS

Gautham Menon to Relaunch Aditya Roy Kapoor

RelianceDreamWorks

Bags 11 OscarNominations

By Subhash K. Jha

– MUMBAI

Remember Aditya RoyKapoor? The young, curly-haired actor, seen in films

like “Action Replayy” and“Guzaarish”, will soon berelaunched in Gautham Menon’stri-lingual film project.

The actor had vanished almostto the point of non-existence, notanswering messages or phonecalls. But now it turns out he hasbeen busy in the south shootingfor a Tamil-Telugu-Hindi movie,being directed by Menon.

Menon, who is in the news forhis new Hindi film “Ek DeewanaTha”, confirmed the news.

“Yes, I am working with AdityaRoy Kapoor in a film that I ammaking in three languages - Tamil,Telugu and Hindi. The Hindi ver-sion with Aditya is called ‘AssiNabbe Poorey Sau’,” he said.

About Kapoor, Menon said: “Ispotted him on the location forVipul Shah’s ‘Action Replayy’. Iimmediately knew he was rightfor ‘Assi Nabbe Poorey Sau’.”

Menon has apparently shotalmost the entire film already. Themovie also features SamanthaRuth Prabhu.

While Kapoor plays the lead inthe Hindi version of this adven-ture-comedy-drama, Tamil super-star Jeeva and Telugu star Nani

play the lead in the other two ver-sions of the film.

Interestingly, Samantha, whomMenon introduced in Telugu film“Ye Maaya Chesave” in 2010, fea-tures in all three versions of thefilm.

The director says shooting a tri-lingual is like making three differ-ent films.

“I do one shot with Aditya andthen the same shot with Jeeva andNani. We go through every shotthree times over in exactly thesame way. I’ve never done a filmsimultaneously in three lan-guages,” he said.

– IANS

Top, U.S. television talk show hostOprah Winfrey gestures during an

interview at Jaipur Literature Festival(JLF) in Jaipur Jan. 22. Above, fans of

entertainment host Oprah Winfrey cheerbefore her arrival Jan. 22.

– NEW DELHI

Talk about getting innova-tive. Actor Imran Khanhas launched a video

travelogue – “Ek Main Aur EkkStar”, throughwhich he will sharehis experienceswhile promotinghis forthcomingfilm “Ek Main AurEkk Tu” across thenation and abroad.

As part of thepromotional tour, Imran willtravel to Dubai, New York,Britain and cities across India.He will document his journey,which will be uploaded onUTV and Dharma Productions’YouTube accounts.

“Ek Main Aur Ekk Star” will

capture “the highs, the lows,the late nights, the pre-dawnscrambles for flights, the ecsta-sy, the euphoria, stress and thestruggles that Imran experi-

ences,” said a press state-ment.

Each video that will beshot, edited and uploadedon the trip, will be anhonest account of life onthe road.

“Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu”is a light-hearted movie

about a boy in his mid-twen-ties, going through a break-down in his personal as well asprofessional life. That’s whenhe meets a girl, and his life goestopsy-turvy. The film releasesFeb 10.

– IANS

Imran to Launch VideoTravelogue for ‘Ek Main Aur...’

Hundreds of eagervisitors jostled againstbarricades at the backof the main stage areaas Winfrey beganspeaking

Reuters

Page 9: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

– MELBOURNE

India’s Sania Mirza and herRussian partner Elena Vesninabeat fancied American duo of

Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond6-3, 5-7, 7-6 to enter the women’sdoubles semifinals at theAustralian Open tennis here Jan.24.

The Indo-Russian pair, seededsixth, held their nerve in a fiercelycontested match at theMelbourne Park against the sec-ond seeds to win the deciding set8-6 in the tie-break. The battlelasted for a little over three hours,of which 93 minutes were con-sumed to settle the third set.

Though Sania-Vesnina com-mitted more unforced errors thanRaymond and Huber, their 60winners to 37 made the differ-ence.

The 2011 French Open finalistson Jan. 25 were to play the dan-gerous Russian combine ofSvetlana Kuznetsova and VeraZvonareva, who are in the top-20of the singles rankings.

Sania was also to play along-side compatriot Mahesh Bhupathiin the mixed doubles quarterfinalsJan. 25. They had won the title in2009.

Leander Paes will take thecourt with Czech partner RadekStepanek for a men’s doubles lasteight match.

In girl’s doubles, India’s RitujaBhosale with Indonesian partnerAldila Sutjiadi defeated Australia’s

Naikhta Bains and DanielleWagland 5-7, 6-2, 10-5 in the sec-ond round.

However, Bhupathi and RohanBopanna crashed out of theAustralian Open men’s doublewhile Leander Paes and his Czechpartner Radek Stepanek cruisedinto the quarterfinals Jan. 22.

Bhupathi and Bopanna, seededfourth, went down in straight-setsto Americans Scott Lipsky andRajeev Ram in their pre-quarterfi-nal match.

Going into the match, theIndian pair had dropped just oneset in the entire tournament. Butthree double faults and 11unforced errors proved to be thestumbling block against the 13thseeds as they lost 6-7(8), 2-6.

Though Bhupathi andBopanna hit similar number ofwinners like their opponents, theyvery poor on service returns,managing a meagre 28 percent oftheir returns.

– IANS

By Nick Mulvenney

– ADELAIDE

Ricky Ponting and MichaelClarke both hit centuriesand combined for 251 runs

to drive Australia to 335 for threeas India wilted in the Adelaide sunon the opening day of the fourthtest on Tuesday.

A rejuvenated Ponting becamejust the third cricketer to score13,000 test runs as he reached 137not out, while Clarke, his succes-sor as Australia captain, notchedup his fourth century in eight testswith an unbeaten 140.

India’s hopes of salvaging amodicum of pride after losing theseries with emphatic defeats inthe first three tests looked brightwhen they removed Australia’s toporder before lunch but melted in37 degree Celsius heat in the after-noon.

Ponting’s 41st test century wasfar more fluent than the 40th,which he scored to end a two-yeardrought in the second test inSydney earlier this month.

The 37-year-old, who scoredhis 13,000th test run with a sweptsingle to deep square leg, broughtup the hundred in 164 balls withhis 11th four and doffed his hel-met to accept a standing ovationfrom the crowd.

Clarke, who won the toss andelected to bat on a good battingtrack, shared a record partnershipof 288 with Ponting in Sydneywhen he hit a brilliant 329 not out.

After the pair had again res-cued Australia’s innings from 84-3to stand at 214 at tea, Clarke madea statement two balls into thefinal session by marching down

the pitch to smash a huge six offpart-time spinner VirenderSehwag.

The 30-year-old reached thecentury, his 19th in tests, with aless emphatic stroke and the balltrickled to the boundary at fourthman for his 14th four.

Sehwag had made a promisingstart as stand-in skipper for thebanned Mahendra Singh Dhoni inthe morning, keeping theAustralians on the back foot andbucking convention by introduc-ing recalled spinner Ravi Ashwinin the fourth over.

It was the pace bowling ofZaheer Khan at the other end,however, that forced the break-through when his inswingertrapped lefthander David Warnerleg before for eight with just 26runs showing on the picturesqueground’s famous old scoreboard.

Shaun Marsh had made 14 in

four innings in the series and hispoor form continued when hemisjudged the flight of an Ashwindelivery which went between batand pad, took the bails off andsent him scurrying back to thepavilion for three.

Ashwin struck again 10 min-utes before lunch to remove EdCowan for 30, tempting the open-er into a miscued cover drive thatVVS Laxman intercepted with afine low catch at short cover toleave Australia struggling.

India took the new ball fiveovers before the end of the dayand Ishant Sharma almostremoved Clarke but Laxman wasthis time unable to hold a difficultcatch.

Dhoni was banned for onematch by the InternationalCricket Council (ICC) after Indiafailed to keep to an acceptableover rate in the third test.

– Reuters

16 January 27, 2012 SPORTS

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know

Sania-Elena Reach Australian Open Semi Finals

Ponting and Clarke Put India to the Sword Again

Left, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza ofIndia talk tactics in their first round mixeddoubles match against Natalie Grandin ofSouth Africa and Jean-Julien Rojer of theNetherlands Antilles during day five of theAustralian Open at Melbourne Park Jan.20. Right, Bhupathi watches as compatriotRohan Bopanna plays a stroke during theirmen’s doubles match against Scott Lipskyand Rajeev Ram of the U.S. on the seventhday of the Australian Open Jan. 22.

Manavjit Sandhu,Imran Hassan Qualifyfor London Olympics

– DOHA

Manavjit Singh Sandhuand Imran Hassan Khansecured Olympic berths

on the concluding day of the AsianShooting Championships here,ensuring India of at least 11London Games’ spots from thediscipline.

Manavjit shot an overall scoreof 139 to win the gold in the men’strap event and the ticket toLondon. His effort gave India itsseventh gold of the competition inthe senior category.

Imran Hassan finished fifth inthe men’s 50m rifle 3-positions butit was good enough on the day foran Olympic slot. In the sameevent, Sanjeev Rajput won thegold while star shooter GaganNarang settled for bronze. Theyboth shot a total of 1241 and 1232respectively.

Imran Hassan, who shot 1224.4,qualified as the shooters who fin-ished above him had earlieralready qualified for the megaevent in July-August. Korea’s KimJonghyun and Han Jinseop camesecond and fourth in the finalshere.

India also won the team goldand silver in the 50m rifle 3-posi-tions and trap event.

– IANS

India Win HockeyTest AgainstSouth Africa

– NEW DELHI

New Delhi, Jan 22(IANS) India made astunning comeback

from three goals down tohold South Africa 3-3 andwon the five-matchKarbonn Cup hockey Testseries 3-1 at the MajorDhyan Chand NationalStadium here Jan. 22.

South Africa struck thricein a space of eight minutesthrough Ricky West (26th),Ian Haley (29th) and Miguelda Graca (34th) to take a 3-0lead in the first half.

India looked a completelydifferent side in the secondhalf and churned out adominating performancewith goals from YuvrajWalmiki (43rd), V.Raghunath (49th) and S.K.Uthappa (66th).

India had their momentsin match and had to blamethemselves for a draw in thelast match of the tourna-ment, that was a part of theteam’s preparation for theOlympic Qualifiers to beheld here from February 18-26. India could convert onlyone of the five PenaltyCorners that came their way.

India coach MichaelNobbs blamed the team’scomplacent attitude.

India put on a lacklustreperformance in the first halfsquandering three PenaltyCorners. Raghunath andRupinder Pal Singh missed achance each.

India came close to opentheir account in the 42ndminutes, but ShivendraSingh’s shot lacked thepower to beat South Africangoalkeeper Jacques Le Roux.Three minutes later Indiafinally found the muchneeded goal when SardarSingh from the top of thearea gave a good pass toWalmiki to sound the board.

– IANS

Zaheer Khan, fourth from right, celebrates taking the wicket of Australia’s DavidWarner, second from left, during the first day of the fourth test cricket match in

Adelaide, Jan. 24.

Reu

ters

Page 10: Desi Talk New York/New Jersey

29January 27, 2012

The largest furniture show for furni­ture and accessory businesses opensat the New Jersey Convention Center

in Edison, New Jersey, from February 5through 7. This event is not open to thepublic.There is complimentary admission for thosestores and designers in the home furnish­ings industry. The proper identification willbe requested upon arrival.

The hours of this show are on Sunday andMonday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday,the last day from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Hundreds of exhibitors will be showcasingthe latest in furniture, accessories, bedding,flooring and much more to the furniturestores in the New York, New Jersey andPennsylvania region.For information call Karel Exposition Man­agement: 305 792 9990.

Largest Furniture Expo to Open in NJ

Nayan Parikh was appointed to theBoard of Department of Environ­mental Protection (DEP) recently

through an announcement made by CarterH. Strickland, Jr., Commissioner. Parikh isthe President of Societyof Engineers and Archi­tects (SIAEA), the leadingorganization of engineersand architects from India.Strickland confirmed thatthe participation of Mi­nority and Women­Owned Businesses(MWBEs) remains a pri­ority of MayorBloomberg and the De­partment of Environmen­tal Protection (DEP).

He said, ʺUnder theMayorʹs direction, wehave seen tremendousprogress in terms of outreach, increasedparticipation, and initiatives designed tohelp MWBEs prosper in the Cityʺ. DEP is aleader in this field.

During the first quarter of this fiscal year

(FY2012), 34 percent of the value of all con­struction­related subcontracts approvedand 33 percent of smaller purchases forgoods by DEP were awarded to MWBEs.Strickland said, ʺWe are proud of successes

in these areas, but recog­nize that there is stillmore that we can do. Inorder to improve our ef­forts, DEP will form anMWBE Advisory Boardthat includes representa­tives from non­City enti­tiesʺ.

Speaking to Desi Talk,Nayan Parikh said, ʺI amexcited on this offer andlook forward to creatingmore opportunities forMWBEs.

As the President ofSIAEA, I look forward to

expanding such opportunities that willhelp minority­owned businesses, whilehelping make SIAEA the national level or­ganization for engineers and architectsʺ.

Nayan Parikh appointed Board Member, DEP, New York

The immensely popular Qawwaligroup Zahid Nazan and his groupreturns to the U.S. in April/May of

this year to perform. It will be his first visitsince his last tour to this country in No­vember, 1999.

The concert tour is being organized byHouse of Entertainment in associationwith Mumbai­based organizer F.R. Inter­national.Zahid said to introduce the tour, “To be aQawwal is more than being a performerand more than being an artist. A personmust be willing to release his/her mindand soul from one’s body to achieve ec­stasy through music. Qawwali is enlight­enment itself.”Zahid was born and brought up in Mum­

bai, being the nephew of the greatQawwal Aziz Nazan. Extending the familytradition of Qawwali, Zahid has per­formed over 5,000 shows across the globein places including Dubai, USA, Malaysia,Mauritius, Qatar and many other coun­

tries. He has also performed as a playbacksinger in Hindi movies and composedmusic for several films. The Maharashtragovernment honored him with the ‘ApnaUtsav’ award in 1987. He will be accompanied with the finestmusicians from India who are masters onTabla, Harmonium, Keyboard, Banjo, Dho­lak and have performed all over theworld. For further details about the concert tourvisit: www.houseofentertainments.com

Grand Qawwali Concert Tour by Zahid Nazan and Group

Zahid Nazan and Group

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